Double-duty bike lock protects against thieves and drivers

When you're going out on a recreational bike ride, you don't want to lug a big ol' U-lock along with you. Nonetheless, if you stop for a coffee on the way home, you still need to secure your bike somehow. That's where the Hiplok FLX comes in. It's a compact cable lock that doubles as a wearable tail light.

The 100-gram FLX features a 1-meter (3.3-ft) braided steel cable, along with a three-digit combination lock. Needless to say, you're not going to be using it to secure your precious two-wheeler for long periods of time – instead, it's intended more just to keep thieves from walking past and grabbing your bike while it's parked near you at a sidewalk cafe (or, let's be honest, at a bar's patio).

As an added bonus, in case it's getting dark by the time you've finished your "coffee," the FLX can be clipped onto your back pocket, hydration pack or whatnot and used as a tail light. It has a 10-lumen LED that can be set to flashing or steady modes.

If you're interested, it's available now in black or white, for £30 (about US$44) via the Hiplok website. For another take on a multi-purpose "cafe-style" bike lock, check out Lazer's Cappuccino – when not being used as a lock, it serves as the clasp on a helmet strap.